New Convoy S2 build

[Jerommel]

@Maatman2012

OK last question… for a newbie like me, should I play the safe bet and get protected cell batteries, or since the qlite has the shut-off protection built in, it’s not necessary to get protected cells?

Meh, the LED doesn’t do much under 3 Volts (on a linear driver) so you’ll know when to charge the battery or replace it with a fresh one.

[teacher]

@RotorHead64

He has the S2. Not S2+.

In my experience the SMO reflector of the S2, S5, S6 and S8 is one of the throwiest 20mm reflectors I’ve seen. It’s nearly as good as an P60 with the same setup imo

I totally agree, S2 or any of the ones you mentioned; with a smooth reflector…. makes a nice light. :+1:

[Lightbringer]

@RotorHead64

In my experience the SMO reflector of the S2, S5, S6 and S8 is one of the throwiest 20mm reflectors I’ve seen. It’s nearly as good as an P60 with the same setup imo

Huh, didn’t know that. Thought both S2 and S2+ had OP.

Strangely enough, I got an S5 host I never played with, so now I have one more thing on my to-do list.

[Lightbringer]

@Jerommel

Meh, the LED doesn’t do much under 3 Volts (on a linear driver) so you’ll know when to charge the battery or replace it with a fresh one.

Unless you accidentally bump the switch on and don’t realise it ’til it’s too late.

Not fun if the cell goes supernova…

[Maatman2012]

@Lexel

Also an important question os the light color you want

Many want a neutral tint from 4500-5000K
My personal choice is the same

I give mod, gift or sell my old cold blue lights
I tried one time 3000 and 4000K but they are to warm for me

I cancelled my original order and went with the XP-L HI V3 3C.

-Approximate light output: 1100 lumens @ 3A 25°C
-Color temperature: 5000K
Tint: Neutral white

[teacher]

Actually the S2 hosts I get from MTN Electronics do come with the OP reflector. I change them out to the Smooth reflector, MTN has them also for $2.35

[Maatman2012]

I ordered the smooth reflector too, so I’ll try it with the OP and the smooth and see which I like better. For $2.35, it’s worth having both

[Lightbringer]

@teacher

Actually the S2 hosts I get from MTN Electronics do come with the OP reflector. I change them out to the Smooth reflector, MTN has them also for $2.35

Fasttech has both finished and bare host S2s (no ‘+’) as OP. Okay, so maybe I’m not going crazy.

[teacher]

@Maatman2012

I ordered the smooth reflector too, so I’ll try it with the OP and the smooth and see which I like better. For $2.35, it’s worth having both

Smart move………

[Lightbringer]

@Maatman2012

Honestly, I probably won’t run this light at 100% all that much, my original plan was to use the gruppydrv firmware and use the group 17: ML - 5% - 15% - 50% - 100% | Memory. I’m guessing the lower output modes will be used much more often.

I just got a little perspective today…

Bulb blew out — long story deleted — was dark, needed light, so tail-stood my S2+ on full (2.8A) for ceiling-bounce light in probably not more than 10min by the time I did everything.

I grab the light to turn it off, and man!, it was like grabbing the pointy end of a soldering iron! Literally dropped it and couldn’t pick it back up again, it was that hot. Managed to poke the switch hard enough to turn it off, let it cool a minute or so, then grabbed it only by the in-air part of the deep-carry clip. Sumbitch, that still hurt.

After another few min or so, I grabbed a coupla tissues and crunkled them into “oven mitts”, just to unscrew the bugger and take out the battery. Was warm, but not nearly as hot as the front of the case, so good, it was only the LED end that was cooking, and not the battery.

I knew the S2+ spread heat nicely, but damn, leaving it on “turbo”, even at a stinking 2.8A, can get hot in a hurry. I can only imagine if its heat-wicking sucked, and the heat was all bottled up in the LED/star. Would probably “reflow” itself off the star and into the reflector…

---

Now imagine alllllll that heat, to the point where I can’t even pick up the whole light itself, being generated by a teeny little chip the size of a sesame seed or so.

That’s why I try to not stress out the little critters.

[Maatman2012]

What LED do you have in your S2+?

[Lightbringer]

@Maatman2012

What LED do you have in your S2+?

Unno, a big one…

Domed, so probably an XM-L2 (not HI).

Lessee, silver frame, one hole in the corner, 2 doodads like for bond wires (can’t see with the reflector blinding me back), yep, looks like an XM-L2.

Just grabbed one from GB on a flash sale, just to have one. Other than 4C, don’t recall much else about it. (You’d probably have to pay me to take a 1A or similar.)

[Rufusbduck]

At 3A or less protected cells do fine. You run into problems with them when running multiple LEDs from DD drivers that trip the over current protection and in some lights hat can’t accommodate the added length.

Lesson learned: your hand is a much better heat sink than the air and will tell you when to dial it down. Tail standing, you probably should keep it to 1A or so if you plan to just let it sit there. Bigger lights like the X6, C8, or M1 can handle slightly more but it’s a really good idea to find out what mode can be left in tail stand for any period before doing so and a heat proof coaster is a good idea to protect what you sit it on.

[Lightbringer]

@Rufusbduck

At 3A or less protected cells do fine. You run into problems with them when running multiple LEDs from DD drivers that trip the over current protection and in some lights hat can’t accommodate the added length.

This was an unprotected LG cell pulled from a mental powerpack. Never any problems with any of them.

@Rufusbduck

Lesson learned: your hand is a much better heat sink than the air and will tell you when to dial it down. Tail standing, you probably should keep it to 1A or so if you plan to just let it sit there. Bigger lights like the X6, C8, or M1 can handle slightly more but it’s a really good idea to find out what mode can be left in tail stand for any period before doing so and a heat proof coaster is a good idea to protect what you sit it on.

I was only planning to use it for a few min. Figured it’d get warm, even uncomfortably so, but this was scorching.

And the fact that they WHOLE LIGHT was cooking all over is a testament to its thermal conductivity. No such thing like just 2-fingering it by the tailcap. Had to pinch it by the raised portion of the pocket-clip (akin to the curly spring-wire used to park a soldering iron; give it a loooooooong thermal path and that stays cool).

Anyhoo, yeah, from now on, not even 5min tailstanding in free air.

[RotorHead64]

@Lightbringer

@Maatman2012

Honestly, I probably won’t run this light at 100% all that much, my original plan was to use the gruppydrv firmware and use the group 17: ML - 5% - 15% - 50% - 100% | Memory. I’m guessing the lower output modes will be used much more often.

I just got a little perspective today… Bulb blew out — long story deleted — was dark, needed light, so tail-stood my S2+ on full (2.8A) for ceiling-bounce light in probably not more than 10min by the time I did everything. I grab the light to turn it off, and man!, it was like grabbing the pointy end of a soldering iron! Literally dropped it and couldn’t pick it back up again, it was that hot. Managed to poke the switch hard enough to turn it off, let it cool a minute or so, then grabbed it only by the in-air part of the deep-carry clip. Sumbitch, that still hurt. After another few min or so, I grabbed a coupla tissues and crunkled them into “oven mitts”, just to unscrew the bugger and take out the battery. Was warm, but not nearly as hot as the front of the case, so good, it was only the LED end that was cooking, and not the battery. I knew the S2+ spread heat nicely, but damn, leaving it on “turbo”, even at a stinking 2.8A, can get hot in a hurry. I can only imagine if its heat-wicking sucked, and the heat was all bottled up in the LED/star. Would probably “reflow” itself off the star and into the reflector… — Now imagine alllllll that heat, to the point where I can’t even pick up the whole light itself, being generated by a teeny little chip the size of a sesame seed or so. That’s why I try to not stress out the little critters.

With a 3 amp guppydrv qlite and an XPL your gonna be at 400-500 lumens at 50% so set your turbo timer for 15-20 seconds and it'll drop to 50%. It'll still get hot if your not holding it but not hot enough to set the woods on fire.

Best practice though is to never lay it down while powered on unless you know for sure it's in a 15% or less mode.

[tranduyquang]

Can anybody tell me this deal is good or not?
http://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_44144.html?wid=21

[Lightbringer]

@tranduyquang

Can anybody tell me this deal is good or not?
http://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_44144.html?wid=21

Fantastic price, and I like everything but the 1A tint. Much prefer 4C in the S2+ Looks like everything they have on sale is a 1A, though.

I actually prefer the 6×7135 vs the 8. Going from 6 to 8 buys you something like 18% more light for 33% more current.

But for the price? Get 6. Swap the emitters if they’re too blue. 11bux is probably less than what I paid for bare S2+ hosts.

[TBone]

Check this thread.

[Lexel]

I like the U3-3D tint

http://intl-outdoor.com/noctigon-xm16-v2-mcpcb-cree-xml2-u3-3d-led-p-844.html
http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=783

a DTP Star helps keep the LED cooler, the LED stays in safe temperature even if the body gets hot

a bit cheaper U2-3D
https://www.fasttech.com/product/3604901-cree-xm-l2-u2-3d-320lm-4700-5000k-led-emitter

U3-2A white
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1609/10003889/3595301-cree-xm-l2-u3-2a-320lm-5700-6000k-led-emitter

[Maatman2012]

So my light was working great for a while, however now it will not cycle through the different brightness levels. I can program it to any of the various 22 guppydrv modes, but it will only default to the first setting of that mode. Any ideas as to why?